Amitabh Bachchan downplays Hollywood debut

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan takes questions during a news conference to promote a movie in New Delhi August 5, 2011.
REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/Files

MUMBAI Actor Amitabh Bachchan has made light of his so-called Hollywood debut, describing his role in Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” as a “mere one scene appearance”.

Bachchan, 68, said he would not be taking any money for playing Meyer Wolfsheim in the film and was doing it as a “friendly gesture”.

Warner Bros, which is producing the film, said last week Bachchan would be part of an illustrious cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Macguire and Carey Mulligan. This would be Bachchan’s first Hollywood film in a four-decade long career.

While the Indian media played up the news, Bachchan, writing on his blog on Sunday, sought to downplay it.

“We are the Indian film Industry and they Hollywood from America,” he wrote. “There shall always be a prominence to American actors in Hollywood, just as there is a prominence of Indian actors in Indian films.”

“(Baz Luhrmann) He called last month and wondered if I would do this small role in his film and I agreed. It is a gesture.”

Luhrmann began filming his cinematic interpretation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel last week in Australia. DiCaprio will play the lead role of Jay Gatsby.

(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar)

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